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Porsche plans Los Angeles customer test track

A plan of the Porsche test track in the Los Angeles area includes road courses, a skidpad and an off-road section.

Porsche plans to open a new test track for its Porsche Driving Experience at a facility to be built next summer in Carson, Calif., just down the freeway from downtown Los Angeles.

Southern California is by far Porsche's biggest market, so this move makes sense. Potential Porsche pilots will test the limits of adhesion on road courses, a drag strip and a skidpad wedged into the intersection of the San Diego and Harbor freeways. It'll be safer than driving on the freeway.

In addition to two road courses, the 200-foot skidpad and some low-friction surfaces, there will be off-road sections for trying out the Cayenne SUV. Also on hand will be vintage Porsches, conference rooms and a restaurant serving--we can only hope--schnitzel.

It follows an existing facility at the Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom. Another Experience Center is planned near Porsche's new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta.

Mark Vaughn
- After slumming in Europe five years covering F1 etc. Mark Vaughn interviewed with Autoweek at the 1989 Frankfurt motor show has been with us ever since because no one else will take him. Anyone?
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